(CNN) - Coming into the home stretch, voters’ views of Barack Obama and John McCain seem relatively locked in place, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday.

With just one full day of campaigning left, 59 percent of voters feel Obama is someone who can bring change; roughly the same number say McCain is not. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed think McCain has the right experience to be president, but voters remain less certain about Obama: Half the country says the Illinois senator has the experience he’d need in the Oval Office, and nearly the same number do not.

Working in Obama’s favor is the perception that he is as strong a leader as McCain: the two are essentially tied, at 64 and 62 percent.

And Obama seems to have an edge on the question of which candidate cares about people: Two-thirds of those polled believe Obama cares about people like them. Fifty-four percent say the same of McCain.

No matter which candidate comes out on top, a majority of voters say they’ll be proud of their new Commander-in-chief: Sixty percent of registered voters surveyed say they would be proud to have Obama as president, and 54 percent feel that way about McCain.

The survey was based on telephone interviews with 1,017 adult Americans, including 950 registered voters and 716 likely voters, conducted October 30-November 1, 2008. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent.

soundoff(628 Responses)

Susan

McCain, if not HIllary!! We were for Obama until just recently. He has become to sure of himself that he has won.

McCain

November 3, 2008 08:13 am at 8:13 am |

Maggie

Obama, of course.

The very fact that McCain chose someone as unprepared, clueless and out of touch as Sarah Palin is proof enough that he can't make the kinds of decisions necessary in a presidential job. If he can mess up the choice of vice president that badly, I wouldn't want to even guess how badly he could mess up daily decisions.

November 3, 2008 08:13 am at 8:13 am |

Voter

VOTE, . . . no matter how long the lines are or how long it takes:

FOUR HOURS BEATS FOR MORE YEARS!

Democrats 08.

November 3, 2008 08:14 am at 8:14 am |

djak

I firmly believe Obama is the one to repair the damage done to our economy and our standing in the rest of the world. I will be proud to call him Mr. President.

November 3, 2008 08:14 am at 8:14 am |

dallas4Obama

Obama would be a great president and i would to call him the next President, I don't think that Macain/Palin would do us any good they would mess up like they are doing in the race. I was with Obama from the start and I am still with him Go Obama/Biden 08

November 3, 2008 08:14 am at 8:14 am |

Bob Stephens

Let's see would we be happier with an old angry man , who switches his stories on a daily basis, and is best buddies with George Bush and Dick Cheney, and picked a dummie for a VP, or Barack Obama.? You tell me....

November 3, 2008 08:14 am at 8:14 am |

Kathy S. Cloughn

Get out the vote! I don't trust the republicans...(based on past experience).

Obama/Biden 2008/2012

Send Palin back to Alaska

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

Dan

Not Palin.

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

JOE

Yeah, one party rule that's change we can be fearful of , didn't we learn from Bush and and all Republican Congress, I say check and checkmate, McCain and a Democratic Congress may them work together ya think.

2012 ;-)

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

liz

Everyone needs to get out and vote. DO NOT be complacent. Barack Obama has done his part we need to do ours. If change is what we want and it is certainly what we need we must Barack the Vote!!!!!!!!

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

weneedstrongleadership

This election is not over, america desperately needs Obama to win. If you have not voted please make sure to do so, do not get complacent. The only reason why Obama is so far ahead is because a lot of obama supporters have already voted. You all still think Obama will win I'm afraid he will not please do not think this is over, do not get complacent, if you have not voted and won't vote then america I'm afraid you get the president you deserve, your vote could and would make a difference. Gallup poll is based on the popularity vote not the electoral college vote, the electoral college vote is what counts. The way the electoral college works is that it goes by state to state county to county district by district. The more voters the more a state turns blue or red. Obams supporters please do this for your country and for Obama, he has the USA's best interest at heart despite what McCain's surrogates and adds might say.

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

Republican

Obama is arrogant and risky. He is polished that will prove to be a maker of promises and won't deliver on any of them. His only speech line as been 'another 8 years of Bush' which lacks creativity and real substance. It's embarrasing to compare him to JFK. He's far from that.

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

sam

My fellow Americans I wish that Obama becomes the President of United States. He will definitely going to bring change.
Obama-Biden 08.

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

Stan

Both sides say they will work for unity, and work with the other side to get things done. Which candidate has shown the attitudes that can get this done? Obama has refused to go negative, despite plenty of ammunition (Keating 5, Liddy, board memberships, radical preachers claiming things like Hitler was sent from God. McCain has not hesitated to go negative on any topic they could, and have spread a rhetoric of hate, insulting the other side whenever they could. In fact, that is almost all they do. So which side will most likely be able to ccomplish this?

November 3, 2008 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

jeannie, baltimore

Although Hillary Clinton was my first choice, I will be proud to claim Senator Obama as my President. In light of the desperate, dishonest, deceitful campaign John McCain and his idiot sidekick have run only people of low caliber would support him.

Why is everything I post up for mediation? I would appreciate my comments being posted this time.

November 3, 2008 08:16 am at 8:16 am |

Bruce WExler

I would be very proud to say the President of this country is Barack Obama. That does not mean I would not be proud of McCain. I would be. I respect his character, and the fact that he speaks up for what he believes.
The difference though, is that McCain represents the same old thing. White haired white man. Two hundred and ninteen years of Presidents that have essential (with exceptions) looked at life the same way, and came to the same conclusions, and the same methods. In Barack we see a man who came from a mixed marriage, a broken home, and a frame of reference, and a world view that no other president has had. Not to mention the extraordinary change in the way that the world will look at us, should we elect this man President.

No time to rest now. OBAMA/BIDEN '08

November 3, 2008 08:16 am at 8:16 am |

conny

OBAMA/BIDEN 2008

November 3, 2008 08:16 am at 8:16 am |

Chuck

That one!!! The one who isn't preaching hate, divisivness, racism, and dividing the national using fear, religion, and anything else they can dig up including the kitchen sink.

VOTE TOMORROW! YOUR NATION DEPENDS ON IT!!

OBAMA / BIDEN

November 3, 2008 08:17 am at 8:17 am |

Cathy

If Palin won't even produce her MEDICAL REOCRDS, how can we be proud of lying, sneaky, say on thing to mislead than do another thing because they are "tough and rogue" kind of politics! Honestly, How can people not be fed up with this stuff- I'll take OBAMA any day!!!!
OBAMA?BIDEN '08

November 3, 2008 08:17 am at 8:17 am |

A. Prince/Lexington,Ky

We all have waited on this day for so long now, lets pray that they do things the right way and count all votes. Don't think for one minute that they would not cheat, because they are messing up already!!!! The machines breaking down, no paper every excuse in the world not to let americans vote, that is so sad that it has come to this.
Obama has work so hard and it would be ashame if they try to cheat because he has brung so many americans to vote. Young, elderly, first- timers, white,black,asia,hispanic everyone.
This world needs a CHANGE in all areas everyone needs to love one another and bring peace among us all. I feel in my heart that Obama can do that and he can help with the things that are going on in the world today. Everyone that supports McCain/Palin knows that all they ever say are negative things. McCain/Palin can't tell you what they can do for us. Every campaign that they have all say "Obama said this" "Obama said that"! What about McCain what did he say about how he can help the world. Now that he has always talked about Bush doing a good job now he says negative thngs about him now. McCain will do any and everything to win now, no matter what he says or do. He is not the type of man who needs to run our United States, he has angry and fustration that has ate and ate at him for years. He has so much billed up inside of him from when he was in the war. Thats why all he talks about is the war, we are going to win, I won't let our troops come home defeated. Think about it world that man is willing to kill everyone just to get his revenge no matter of what cost.
For those who has not voted tonight think long and hard and asked the man above who created us for you to make the right choice. Sit down and list the Pros and Cons and see where you end up at. Look past the color of skin, experience, look at your children, grandchildren and your future in the world. We have to change how things are being done. We have to start somewhere. Think about the man who sits down and acts in a professional way no angry thinking with a clear mind when making decisions for us. Someone who wants our world to be a better place for all man kind.

May God Bless us All

November 3, 2008 08:17 am at 8:17 am |

Tess

When Hillary did not make the nomination, my husband and I were for McCain but changed our mind when Palin was interviewed by Charles Gibson and Katie Curic, then we lost our vote for McCain. He does not really love his Country by choosing the no knowledge lady to be the President if something will happen to him. He only think of winning but not tfor the future of America. McCain is plastic as plastic as his running mate.

I already voted for Obama, hopefully the Salvation of America and the whole world.

November 3, 2008 08:17 am at 8:17 am |

Gary

VOTE.

(or else we get Sarah Palin).

November 3, 2008 08:17 am at 8:17 am |

Catheryn Donathan

Kentucky,If you're reading this comment and you're on the fence and want to vote for the Obama/Biden for change in America but the color of his skin is an issue it should not be! He is one of the most intellegent people I've heard speak in this long campaign.Ask yourself "Am I better than I was 8 yrs. ago?"My husband and I are not even better than we where 8 months ago. After 16 yrs. with a company that depends on the building industry he is layed off!!Jobs are not plentiful in our area so who knows how long this will go on. I'm in Automotive manufacturing and with G.M. and the American Auto. Industry in the shape it's in I'm fearing for my job since General Motors is one of our big customers. So please get out and vote Obama/ Biden because the Bush/Mccain/Palin/Cheney ticket sure hasn't worked the last 8 yrs.

November 3, 2008 08:18 am at 8:18 am |

DemforMcCain

Obama is socialist that will bury the country further than it already is. He will eliminate jobs by 'spreading the wealth'. We need a president that creates jobs and stands up for all Americans.

November 3, 2008 08:19 am at 8:19 am |

YOLANDA

Lord willing and the creek don't rise..... Come November 5th I will be proud to call Barack Obama my president!!!!!